"You really haven't wasted your time as a cult leader." Tsukumo Yuki's tone was dry, but her eyes held amusement. "All those grand speeches—you've even learned to brainwash yourself. How can you be so sure there will be successors?"
Geto spread his hands, a lazy smile crossing his features. "That's Gojo Satoru's problem now. If there aren't any successors, it just means he failed too."
He leaned back, looking utterly unconcerned. "Me? I'm retired. Going to enjoy some peace and quiet for a change."
That peace lasted approximately one week.
After Tsukumo Yuki publicly announced Geto Suguru's official membership in Cursed Shadow, the jujutsu world buzzed with speculation. Two Special Grade combatants in one organization—unprecedented. But before the gossip could settle, the ordinary world erupted.
A netizen, foraging along the coast at midnight, captured something impossible: a massive serpentine form battling a colossal crustacean in the churning surf. The video went viral. "Dragon Crab War," they called it—an omen of earthquakes, according to old legends.
Then came the oarfish.
Two of them. Stranded on separate beaches within days of each other. The "doomsday fish," surfacing only when seismic activity disturbed their deep-sea homes.
Panic spread like wildfire.
An expedition team vanished in ancient forests. Mount Fuji's monitoring stations reported unusual activity. A climber on a snowy peak photographed something that looked chillingly like a Yuki-onna. A serial killer stalked Tokyo's streets.
Someone connected the dots.
The Bansei Cult's destruction. The omens. The strange events multiplying across the country. A narrative emerged: a demon king was coming, and the last barrier against him—the cult—had been destroyed. Humanity needed Geto Suguru to return and save them.
Negative emotions skyrocketed. Cursed Spirits grew stronger by the day. Sorcerers, already stretched thin, were overwhelmed.
The Jujutsu Higher-ups had no choice but to convene an emergency meeting.
Kamo Itsuki stood at the head of the conference table, commanding attention without effort. Around him sat the Higher-ups, their ancient faces creased with worry. Also present: Tsukumo Yuki and Geto Suguru—the latter looking thoroughly displeased at having his retirement interrupted.
"I propose establishing a super barrier covering all of Japan." Kamo's voice was calm, unhurried, as if discussing the weather. "It will permanently resolve our manpower shortage."
He distributed reports—detailed analyses of the Beehive Barrier test. Data on energy efficiency, containment protocols, Cursed Spirit concentration rates. Everything meticulously documented.
When they'd had time to absorb the information, Kamo continued.
"To be clear: I've been preparing this for years. Everything is ready. I'm informing you, not asking permission." His gaze swept the room. "Who supports? Who opposes?"
Silence.
The Higher-ups exchanged glances, uncertainty written on every face. Such a monumental decision—affecting the entire jujutsu world—couldn't be made in moments. They needed time to calculate, to consider political ramifications, to—
"I support."
Gojo Satoru stepped forward, his voice cutting through the hesitation like a blade.
"On behalf of the Gojo Clan, I fully endorse Kamo Itsuki's plan."
He smiled, utterly unconcerned with the stunned expressions around him. As clan head, with the family firmly under his control, his word was absolute.
The balance tipped. If the Gojo Clan supported, opposition became... complicated.
Kamo nodded, unsurprised. "Anyone else?"
One by one, hands rose. Resistance crumbled in the face of Gojo's certainty and Kamo's undeniable results.
The super barrier would proceed.
Geto Suguru sighed from his corner. So much for retirement.
The dominoes fell one by one.
Gojo Satoru's declaration had broken the dam. Now others rushed to follow.
"I, Tsukumo Yuki, on behalf of Cursed Shadow, support the super barrier plan." Her voice carried absolute authority—Cursed Shadow was her creation, her domain. Her word was law within it.
Geto Suguru raised his hand next, a faint wry smile on his lips. "I, Geto Suguru, on behalf of myself, support Kamo Itsuki." Once, his voice would have carried the weight of the Bansei Cult's thousands of followers. Now, it carried only his own name. But as a Special Grade sorcerer, that name still meant something.
"I, Kamo Masaki, on behalf of the Kamo Clan, support Kamo Itsuki." The Kamo Clan head spoke without hesitation. The Kamo Clan's fortunes were inextricably linked to Kamo Itsuki's rise. Whatever his private thoughts, public support was the only option.
Zen'in Naobito waited a beat—long enough to maintain dignity, not long enough to appear reluctant. "I, Zen'in Naobito, on behalf of the Zen'in Clan, support Kamo Itsuki."
His internal calculations raced. The Zen'in Clan lacked top-tier combat power. Fushiguro Megumi was promising but unproven—still unable to expand his Domain, still years away from attempting the Mahoraga ritual. Even with Toji's help, success was far from guaranteed. And Maki needed time to mature, to become the second Heavenly Restriction user who could tip the scales.
Until then, the Zen'in Clan had no choice but to align with power. And power, in this room, had a name.
The Four Special Grade Sorcerers and the Three Great Families had spoken. The remaining attendees exchanged glances and nodded their assent. What choice did they have? When the tallest trees all lean the same direction, the smaller ones either follow or break.
And besides—if problems arose, the powerful would handle them. That was how it had always worked.
Kamo Itsuki distributed the next set of documents. The super barrier's principles mirrored the Beehive Barrier's, but the scale—covering all of Japan—required adjustments. Energy distribution nodes. Redundancy systems. Emergency protocols.
"Review the details at your leisure," Kamo said. "Implementation begins immediately. Regional assignments will follow."
He looked around the room, meeting each pair of eyes in turn.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
The words were polite. The tone was not.
The super barrier would rise. And with it, a new era for the jujutsu world.